From The Grave Comes... Death!

With the capture of Venomm and after driving off the deadly Malice, the Black Panther perhaps has reason to believe he's making headway in defeating the plans of Erik Killmonger, the man who has come to Wakanda to overthrow T'Challa and spearheads the series of stories from 1973-75 known as "Panther's Rage." But as we come to Part 4 of this story, the momentum that's been slowly building vis-à-vis the Panther and his primary antagonist lapses, and "Panther's Rage" begins to feel like one of those daytime dramas which must juggle a number of actors throughout the week--eventually, the characters you really want to see become occupied with learning their lines and rehearsing for their next appearances, leaving the bit players filling air time in scenes which have little to do with the main plot.  Killmonger himself, unfortunately, continues to be "offstage," while the story's focus falls on his lieutenants.  For such a merciless, aggressive man with his eye squarely on T'Challa's throne, you'd think that Killmonger would insist on more stage time.

With the entrance of Baron Macabre, another of Killmonger's lieutenants, even the narrative of writer Don McGregor can't help but offer the impression that we seem to be becoming mired in a story that's trotting out one bizarre threat after another to face the Panther--or as the Panther himself puts it, "more of the fright-show theatrics of Killmonger's league," which admittedly about sums it up. As for our "bit players" who all but try to wrest the spotlight from Macabre, they become part of a murder mystery which will culminate toward the end of the story following the Panther's inconclusive battle with the Baron--though if you pay careful attention, you'll notice vital clues to identifying the true suspect, thanks to guest artist Gil Kane who expertly picks up on McGregor's tipoffs.

McGregor begins with one of those players, Monica Lynne, T'Challa's lover and guest, who might as well have "out-worlder" stenciled on her forehead for all of those within the palace and without who continue to give her the cold shoulder and more than a few resentful stares. We learn later that T'Challa has completed (off-panel) the ritual which would renew his Panther abilities, its delay caused by Monica putting a halt to what she misjudged as abuse on the part of T'Challa's warriors--an affront which did her no favors in the eyes of those who viewed the ritual as sacred. This day, she again experiences distrust while accompanying the Panther during his appearance at a local village--and back in the palace, she once again endures the frigid words of a court handmaiden, Tanzika, who has already shared tense words with Monica and who continues to make her feelings about this woman known, in one way or another.

The after-dinner conversation isn't likely to improve, either, since T'Challa receives some disturbing reports from Zatama: First, evidence that Killmonger's guns are of the same stock as those used by T'Challa's guards stationed in his underground "jungle"... and second, word of a visitor (the same villager who treated Monica with such disdain) who pleads with the Panther to locate her missing husband, M'Jumbak, assumed to be headed toward a burial site said to be haunted by Baron Macabre.

Regrettably, upon reaching the site, the Panther finds M'Jumbak dead, and his presumed killer closing in on him.

Macabre's "ground support" (heh) are our old friends, the Death Regiments, whose collective bark in "Panther's Rage" has so far proven worse than their bite, given how superfluous they turned out to be in Venomm's mining operation; though in fact, they seem to have no voice at all, which no doubt adds to their menacing aspect. Here, once more, they take a noncommittal stance, preferring to hang back while Macabre takes the offensive against the Panther--nor does it look like they're needed, beyond assuming the task of transporting the Panther to Macabre's master, King Cadaver.

While back at the palace, our prospective murderer is about to make their play--and though their identity remains shrouded in mystery, we at least know who is fated to die, thanks to McGregor spilling the beans through narrative.

Since being introduced, Zatama has resonated W'Kabi's own anger and accusations, echoing their substance through his own emotions on the subject of T'Challa even though he and W'Kabi are at odds with each other--so his death really doesn't deprive us of a unique character who adds to the interplay in any meaningful way, since it's slack which W'Kabi will pick up easily enough. But McGregor makes quite an effort to keep this mystery's wheels spinning, perhaps to the detriment of where our focus should be in this story.

Meanwhile, Macabre (remember Baron Macabre?) has discovered that, to an extent, the Panther has feigned weakness in order to surprise his foe when the time is right.  Yet to the Baron, the ploy seems to be an inconvenience, nothing more.

Macabre thus becomes the second of Killmonger's operatives who doesn't fall captive to the Panther--though from a reader's perspective, it's difficult to swallow why the Panther, who has faced heavy odds from armed men before, is suddenly bolting.  (And when did the Death Regiments become armed?) The Panther doesn't seem too worried about either Macabre or the Regiments, and he appears physically capable of staying in this fight--and all the while, McGregor, in his written portrayal of him, is describing the prowess of the Panther as if the men he's fighting should be standing agape at the level of fighter they face. It's a battle that ends inconclusively for no good reason, and arguably too quickly.

But while the Baron would consider himself to be shocking development enough, look what elbows him aside to assume this story's nail-biting climax meant to hook the reader for the next issue:

It doesn't take a speck of insight to realize that Monica has been framed, at least if you're not T'Challa's outraged security chief who has resented Monica's presence from day one. The mystery will continue to unfold in the next issue--where, who knows, the story's next "fright-show theatric" might make more of an impression than his servant had a chance to here.

COMING UP:

BONUS!

Whatever is in that heart-shaped herb that gives the Black Panther his power, I wouldn't mind a little of it in a daily protein shake--because a man who can bring down a charging rhinoceros is pretty much all the advertisement such a supplement needs.

(We may also have to re-evaluate the Panther's standing as a "mediumweight" in the Gruenwald/Layton strength-ranking chart--or can Daredevil pull this off, too?)

Jungle Action #9 Script: Don McGregor Pencils: Gil Kane Inks: Klaus Janson Letterer: Tom Orzechowski